TPO Project Controls Manager

CenterPoint Energy • Houston, TX

1d

About The Position

The Project Controls Manager establishes, leads, and continuously improves the project controls function for the Transmission Portfolio Office. The role provides leadership and governance for cost management, scheduling, forecasting, risk management, change management, performance measurement, and project reporting across a portfolio of complex capital projects.

As a strategic partner to project managers and leadership, the manager provides accurate visibility into cost, schedule, risk, and overall performance. The position develops and implements project controls standards, processes, tools, and reporting practices to support consistent project execution and informed decision-making across the portfolio. It also serves as the primary Project Controls interface with EPC and Owner’s Engineer contractors, integrating their controls data into the company’s reporting framework.

Requirements

• 10+ years in engineering, project, or construction management within electric transmission and/or substations.
• Demonstrated expertise in cost management, scheduling, forecasting, project performance reporting, risk management, and change management.
• Experience supporting large, complex capital infrastructure, utility, energy, transmission, EPC, or construction projects.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing project controls standards and processes, not only administering established systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Business Management, Project Management, Construction Management, or a related field from an accredited college or university; at least 6 years of applicable work experience related to CenterPoint Energy’s engineering and construction work practices may be considered in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

• Define and document standards for cost management, scheduling, forecasting, earned value, change management, risk, contingency, and performance reporting, supported by practical tools, templates, dashboards, and processes.
• Establish roles, responsibilities, accountabilities, and expectations for project controls across the organization.
• Build a scalable project controls framework supporting projects from planning and development through construction and closeout.
• Balance appropriate rigor with simplicity and develop practical solutions that improve execution.
• Build organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, and continuous improvement.
• Foster collaboration and influence across engineering, operations, supply chain, finance, legal, and regulatory organizations.
• Work hands-on with project teams to solve problems while maintaining portfolio-level standards and governance.
• Serve as the primary Project Controls interface with EPC and Owner’s Engineer contractors, establishing expectations for cost, schedule, forecasting, risk, change management, and performance reporting.
• Integrate contractor schedules, cost forecasts, progress measurements, commitments, and other controls data into the company’s reporting framework.
• Establish and maintain consistent coding structures, WBS/CBS alignment, reporting cutoffs, progress-measurement rules, and data requirements across company, EPC, and OE systems and deliverables.
• Review and challenge contractor schedules, forecasts, estimates, progress updates, trends, and change impacts for completeness, internal consistency, and alignment with approved project baselines.
• Lead routine project controls reviews with EPC and OE teams to identify interfaces, cost exposure, trends, risks, and potential changes, and address variances, reporting discrepancies, and corrective actions.
• Ensure contractor change requests and change orders are reflected in cost forecasts, schedules, risk registers, and project reporting, with traceability from identification through disposition.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Paid training
• Benefits eligibility begins on your first day
• Transit subsidies
• Flexible work schedule
• Paid holidays and paid time off
• Access to discounts at fitness clubs
• Access to an on-site wellness center at the Houston headquarters
• Professional growth and development programs
• Tuition reimbursement
• 401(k) Savings Plan with a dollar-for-dollar company match up to 6% and a company contribution of 3% regardless of employee contribution

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior